Spring-retracted lip brush having ramrod means in cap for projecting brush to operative position



A g- 6, 1 D GORDO 2,607,942

N 4 SPRING-RETRACTED LIP BRUSH HAVING RAM ROD MEANS IN CAP FOR PROJECTING BRUSH TO OPERATIVE POSITION Filed June 12. 1948 IN V EN TOR.

. mag/w Patented Aug. 26, 1952 TSPRING-RETRA CTED LIP BRUSH HAVING f RAMROD MEANS IN CAP FOR PROJECTING BRUSH T OPERATIVE POSITION Don Gordon, Burbank, Califi, assignor to E. Manuel Stolaroff, Los Angeles, Calif.

' 7 Application June 12, 1948, Serial No. 32,691

The present invention relates to holders for lip brushes, lipsticks, and the like, and one of its primary objects is to provide a holder which is so constructed and arranged that the article associated therewith is retracted into the body of the holder at all times except when in readiness for actual use, and is thereforeprotected against accidental contact. The invention is particularly advantageous in connection with; lip brushes,

where one of the problems-is to prevent the brush hairs from contacting theinside of the closure cap, The reason for this is to prevent any excess lip rouge remaining on the brush hairs from wiping oil onto the inside of the cap," from which it would transfer to the outside of the body, where it would tend to stain everything with which the body comes into contact. 7 I

I accomplish the foregomg object by mounting the brush on a spring-pressed carrier which is slidably disposed within a tubular body for movement, between anormally retracted position .and an extended position wherein the'brush projects from one end of the body. A cap isprovided which is adapted to be inserted over either end of the aforesaid body, and fixedly mounted within the cap is a pin which functions as a ramrod to push the carrier out to the extended position when the cap is inserted on the back end of the body. When the cap is removed from the back end of the body, the carrier is returned by its spring to the retracted position, and the brush hairs are then sheathed within the body when the cap is inserted on the front end thereof t close the same.

One of the principal objections to prior conventional lip brush holders having removable closure caps to protect the brush, is that sooner or later some of the lip rouge on the brush hairs wipes off onto the inside of the cap and then transfers onto the outside of the holder. The only way of avoiding this transference is to refrain from inserting the cap on the back end of the holder; but this imposes an inconvenience on the user, who, in addition to the lip brush holder and cap, is usually occupied also with the manipulation of a lipstick holder and cap, as well as a mirror. Thus, there are five separate parts which often must be handled simultaneously during the application of lipstick with a brush. The present invention alleviates this condition by permitting thecap of the lip brush holder-to be mounted on the body thereof, so that the cap and body can thereafter be handled as a single consolidated itemy. I

lip brush extended; and

2 Claims. (01. 15-184) Another advantageous feature of the invention accruing from the retraction of the brush into the holder body is the elimination of all danger of disturbing or injuring the delicate brush hairs when placing the cap on the open end'of the body. Since the brush hairs are completely sheathed, no particular care need be exercised when placing the cap on the body of the present lip brush holder; whereas with conventional holders it is necessary to aline the cap quite accurately with the body before pushing the same into place, in order to avoid rubbing or pressing against the brush hairs with the cap. The smaller the diameter of the body and cap of conventional lip brush holders, the greater the care that must betaken when inserting the cap on the body. By eliminating all possibility of interference between the cap and brush hairs, the present invention makes it feasible to use asmall diameter for the cap and body of a lip brush holder, without imposing the necessity forlgreat er care in handling the same.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lip brush holder embodying the principles of .the invention, showing the cap removed from the body;

Figure 2 is another view'of the same, showing the cap inserted on the back end of the body, and the lip brush projected out to the extended position;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the lip brush holder, with-the cap mount ed on the open end of the body =to close the same;

Figure 4. is a similarview b ut with the'cap mounted on the back end of the body, and the Figure 5 is anenlarged sectional view of a detail. y

In the drawing, the lip brush holder of the invention is seen to comprise'a body or case [0 and a cap ll, both of which are thin-walled tubular shells that are preferablydrawn from sheet brass. The body I0 is open at one end, and is closed at the other end by arounded end wall l2 having a smallholel3 formed in the center thereof Pressed into the open endofv the body I0 is a sleeve 1 5 having a central bore l6. As best shown in Figure 5, the sleeve I5 is generally cylindrical in shape, andisslotted at 20 for about of its length from the back endthereof. Theoutside slot thus provides a yielding resiliencyfor the.

oversized portion of the sleeve 55, enabling the sleeve to be assembled with a light press fit in the body ii) through a relatively wide spread of manufacturing tolerances; while the unyielding portion of the sleeve is made of the same diameter as the body so as to prevent stretching of the latter, which would necessitate selective fittingof the cap I I.

Slidably disposed within the body it is a lip brush carrier12 5 having a tapered nose a onto which is pressed a tapered ferrule 26 carrying a tuft of brush hairs 21. The carrier 25 is movable between the retracted position shown in Figure 3, wherein the brush is withdrawnQompletely into the body In, and the extended position shown in Figure 4. In the latter position, the ferrule and brush hairs are projected beyond the open end of the bod and the cylindrical body of the carrier 25 fillsthej bore l6 of the sleeve l5. At the back end of the carrier 25 is an enlarged head 28 which may be frusto-conical in shape, as shown, with either a flat or slightly concave endsurface. The carrier 25 is yieldingly. urged back to the retracted position by a soft coil spring 311 which encircles the carrier 25 and bears at one end against the bottom end of the head 28; the other end of the spring being seated on a shoulder a] on the sleeve I5.

The carrier 25 is projected out to the extended position by the action of the cap II when the latter is inserted onto the back end of the body It, and to this end the cap is provided with a longitudinally extending pin '32. which is mounted in the interior of the cap on the axis thereof, and which is adapted to pass freely through the hole 13 in the back end of the body [0. The pin 32 s r se t ent al o e 33,, in a p u and the latter is pressed, in turn, into the bot.- tom end of the cap I l'.

When the cap II is inserted on the back end of the body ill, the free endof the pin 32 passes through the hole 13 and engages the rear end of the head 28 on carrier 25. As thecap H is pushed further onto the body [0, the carrier 25.

is pushed outwardly by the pin 32 against the pressure of the coil spring Siluntil the carrier reaches a fully extended position, with the spring coils closed solidly against one another. At this, point, the ferrule 26 is projected entirely beyond the end of the body Ill, and the brush is in readiness for use.

In order to provide a firm frictional engagement between the body [0 and cap I I so as to prevent the latter from being pushed off the body by the pressure of spring 30, I find it desirable to form a pair of diametrically opposed indentations 35 in the side walls of the cap adjacent the open end thereof. These indentations, known as spring-bumps take up the clearance between the cap and body, and provide a certain amount of interference to relative sliding move-v ment between them; thereby creating frictional: resistance sufficient to resist the pressure of thelil) spring 30. The spring-bumps 35 also engage the body l0 when the cap is mounted on the front end thereof, as shown in Figure 3, providing frictional resistance so that the cap is firmly held on the body when the lip brush holder is closed.

The telescopic movement oi the cap H. on the open front end of the body!!! is limited by means of two projections 36 whichare struck out from the side walls of the body a short distance from the front end thereof. These projections are engaged by theend of the cap as the latter is pushed onto thefront end of the body, stopping the cap at-theposition shown in Figure 3.

- The operation of the invention and the many advantageous features thereof are believed to be self-evident from the foregoing description. The

brush 21, being retracted entirely within the body lflby the spring 30 when the cap is removed from the back end thereof, is protected from contact with the inside of the cap ll. With the brush 2'! thus sheathed; no particular care need be exercised in placing the capon the open end of the body. The inside of the cap H cannot become smeared withlip rouge from the brush, hence there is no problem of transference to the outside of the body H}, The lip brush carrier is pushed out to }and'solid-ly held in ex-= tended position by the ramrod-like action of the pin 32 when the cap is telescopically inserted on the back end ofthe body H1, and as the cap isremoved, the carrier isretracted by the spring 38. The lip brush holder of my invention is. simple and inexpensive to manufacture, as well as convenient and easy to operate.

While I have-shown and described:inconsider-i able detailwhat I believe to be the preferred form of my invention, it isto beunderstood thatsuch details are'not restrictive; and that" various n s ma be m dei has a e. a d r n me t of the eralfpa ts wi h ut. departin 'the scope f the. nvent on. defined; the appended claims. i

Iclaim: T o

1. A retractible lip brush holder comprising a.

' b lar asev open atithe. front end and having a hole in the back endthereof onthe axis .of' the; case, a cylindrical carrier sli'd'able, within said case, for m vementv between.a e ractedition. and an extended positio'n, 's aid carrier. having. a. tapered nose on they outer end jthere,of a, tapered err le pressed onto said-nose; sa d. er ule; bein provided with aftuft o brush. hairs, a slotted.

tubular bearing sleeve pressed into the open end of said case, said sleeve being thesamerinfo tside' diameter as the inside diameter of, said casesaid s e e. ri t n ly en a ing aid case. andthe.

p tions o s id e yeon i her is a ii haslot,

being e z e heri y a d asesa .c rrier being slidable through", "said: sleeve to said ex-, tended position so th at;s aid brush tuft" is projected beyond the open end ofthe'case a spring contained within said case and; bearing atone end on said sleeve and; atflt heotherend-'on said;

carrier to urge the-latter-*towardsaid retractedposition, a tubular cap adapted to betelescoped onto either endof said-case, a-pin fixed in the closed end of said i cap and. extending: longitudi nally. along the. axisxthereot'; the: freeiendiof said.

pin being inserted throughjsaidliolewhemthe;

an is el conec nto the basis. and. of: said;

t u a e. i -r mmin ensaseabl iw thi a d carrier to push thesame out to saidextended position. against the pressure .of said spring, I and;

l a pair 'of diametricallyoppo'sed indentationsdn; said cap adjacent the open ends thereof, said indentations being engageable with the outer surface of said case to secure a firm frictional engagement thereof so as to prevent the cap from being pushed off the back end of the case by the pressure of said spring.

2. In a retractible lip brush holder, the combination of: an elongated tubular case comprising a tubular member having a cylindrical bore opening through the front end thereof, an end closure at the back end thereof formed with a hole on its longitudinal axis, and a tubular bearing sleeve pressed with a friction tight fit into the front end thereof, the inner end of said sleeve affording an annular inwardly facing seating shoulder, a carrier movable longitudinally within said tubular member formed with an intermediate cylindrical section slidable within said bearing sleeve, an enlarged head formed on the inner end of said cylindrical section of said carrier slidable inside said tubular case in sliding engagement with the wall surface of said cylindrical bore, said enlarged head affording a shoulder at its juncture with said cylindrical section which faces toward said bearing sleeve, and a reduced nose on the outer end of said carrier, a coil spring inside said tubular member encircling said cylindrical section of said carrier and seated at opposite ends against said shoulder afforded by said sleeve and said shoulder afforded by said enlarged head, a ferrule pressed onto said nose,

said ferrule being provided with a tuft of brush hairs, and a tubular cap for the open end of said case arranged also to be telescoped with a frictional longitudinally sliding fit onto the back end of said tubular case, and a pin fixed in the closed end of said cap and extending longitudinally along the axis thereof, the free end of said pin being received through said hole when the cap is telescoped onto the back end of said tubular case, said pin being directly engageable with the head on said carrier to push the same against the restraint of said spring out to an extended position with said ferrule protruding from said bearing sleeve, said carrier being retractible by said spring when said cap is removed from the back end of said case to a retracted position with said brush hairs received inside said bearing sleeve.

DON GORDON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Number Name Date 1,304,590 Nardi May'27, 1919 1,387,063 Matsugaki Aug. 9, 1921 2,205,601 Satz June 25, 1940 2,373,711 Satz Apr. 17, 1945 2,392,840 De Groft Jan. 15, 1946 

